ADS BibCode:2006Msngr.125...10.Section:Reports from ObserversAuthor(s)/Affiliation(s):ESOAA(ESO)Abstract:47 Tucanae is an impressive globular clus-ter that is visible with the unaided eye from the southern hemisphere. It appears as big on the sky as the full moon.

ADS BibCode:2006Msngr.125...19.Section:Reports from ObserversAuthor(s)/Affiliation(s):ESOAA(ESO)Abstract:MCG-01-39-003 (bottom right) is a peculiar spiral galaxy, apparently interacting with its neighbour, the spiral galaxy NGC 5917 (upper right). Both galaxies are located at similar distances, about 87 million light years away, towards the constellation of Libra.

ADS BibCode:2006Msngr.125...23.Section:Reports from ObserversAuthor(s)/Affiliation(s):ESOAA(ESO)Abstract:On the night of 23 to 24 April, the VLT ob-served fragment B of the comet Schwassmann- Wachmann 3 that had split a few days earlier. The ESO astronomers were sur-prised to discover that the piece just ejected by fragment B was splitting again. Five other mini-comets were also visible. The comet thus seems doomed to disintegrate but the question remains in how long a time.

ADS BibCode:2006Msngr.125...27.Section:Reports from ObserversAuthor(s)/Affiliation(s):ESOAA(ESO)Abstract:Three ESO press releases on extrasolar planets and brown dwarfs in the last few months testify to the pace of activity in this field at the moment. They are summarised briefly here, and are available in complete form on the ESO web-site (PR 19/06, 28/06, 29/06).

ADS BibCode:2006Msngr.125...35RSection:Telescopes and InstrumentationAuthor(s)/Affiliation(s):Richichi, A.; Moorwood, A.AA(ESO) AB(ESO)Abstract:As the VLTI continues its successful science operations with the first scientific instruments, MIDI and AMBER, plans are already under way for the horizon beyond 2010. To maintain the VLTI at the top of the international competition, a next generation of instruments is being evaluated: more versatile, more complete, but also more complex and technically challenging. Phase A studies for three candidates have just started, and we provide here a brief summary of their characteristics.References:Paumard T. et al. 2005, Proc. of the ESO Workshopon “The Power of Optical/IR Interferometry: Recent Scientific Results and Second-generation VLTI Instrumentation”Eisenhauer F. et al. 2005, Proc. of the ESO Work-shop on “The Power of Optical/IR Interferometry: Recent Scientific Results and Second-generation VLTI Instrumentation”

ADS BibCode:2006Msngr.125...37BSection:Telescopes and InstrumentationAuthor(s)/Affiliation(s):Baudry, A.; Marchet, F. B.; Kurlandcyk, H.; Rossi, S.AA(Observatoire Aquitain des Sciences de l’Univers de Bordeaux, Floirac, France) AB(ESO) AC(ESO) AD(ESO)Abstract:The Atacama Large Millimeter Array is designed to produce excellent images in spectral lines and continuum, to detect distant galaxies like our Milky Way and to image proto-stellar discs in the nearest molecular clouds. To accomplish these goals, signals from the ALMA antennas must be processed and transmitted to the technical building in a format ready to be accepted by the correlator. The ALMA Back-End provides this in a loss-free, reliable and flexible way. In the following an overview is given of the ALMA Back-End subsystems developed in various European Institutes under ESO coordination.

Other Astronomical News

ADS BibCode:2006Msngr.125...48PSection:Other Astronomical NewsAuthor(s)/Affiliation(s):Peacock, J.; Schneider, P.AA(Royal Observatory Edinburgh, United Kingdom) AB(University of Bonn, Germany)Abstract:ESO and ESA agreed to establish a number of Working Groups to explore possible synergies between these two major European astronomical institutions. This Working Group's mandate was to concentrate on fundamental questions in cosmology, and the scope for tackling these in Europe over the next ~15 years. One major resulting recommendation concerns the provision of new generations of imaging survey, where the image quality and near-IR sensitivity that can be attained only in space are naturally matched by ground-based imaging and spectroscopy to yield massive datasets with well-understood photometric redshifts (photo-z's). Such information is essential for a range of new cosmological tests using gravitational lensing, large-scale structure, clusters of galaxies, and supernovae. Great scope in future cosmology also exists for ELT studies of the intergalactic medium and space-based studies of the CMB and gravitational waves; here the synergy is less direct, but these areas will remain of the highest mutual interest to the agencies. All these recommended facilities will produce vast datasets of general applicability, which will have a tremendous impact on broad areas of astronomy.References:Peacock J. A. and Schneider P. 2006, FundamentalCosmology, ESA-ESO Working Groups Report (see http://www.stecf.org/coordination/esa_eso/wg.php?working_group=cosmology)Perryman M. and Hainaut O. 2005, Extra-solarplanets, ESA-ESO Working Groups report (see http://www.stecf.org/coordination/esa_eso/extrasolar/report.pdf)Wilson T. L. and Elbaz D. 2006, The Herschel-ALMASynergies, ESA-ESO Working Groups report

ADS BibCode:2006Msngr.125...51SSection:Other Astronomical NewsAuthor(s)/Affiliation(s):Shaver, P.AA(ESO)Abstract:The recent XXVIth General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union, held on 14-25 August in Prague, was a great success. These triennial events always provide a unique opportunity to experience first-hand the progress across the entire range of astronomy, as well as to meet friends and colleagues from one’s own and other sub-fields, and this General Assembly certainly lived up to expectation. Some 2800 participants from around the world attended this event.

ADS BibCode:2006Msngr.125...53GSection:Other Astronomical NewsAuthor(s)/Affiliation(s):Grothkopf, U.AA(ESO)Abstract:LISA V, the latest in the series of conferences on Library and Information Services in Astronomy, was held in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in June 2006. More than 100 astronomy librarians, data archive specialists, publishers, and astronomers from 24 countries discussed tools and trends in information retrieval and management. As with previous conferences, ESO played a major role in the organisation and support of LISA V.References:Related websites:LISA V information: http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/library/lisa/Author instructions and news regarding the proceed-ings: http://www.astro.helsinki.fi/library/lisa5/authors/General website for information on past and futureLISA conferences: http://www.eso.org/libraries/lisa.htmlFurther reading:Corbin B. G. and Grothkopf U., LISA – The Libraryand Information Services in Astronomy confer-ences. In: Organisations and strategies in astronomy(OSA), Vol. 7, Heck A. (ed.), Springer, Dordrecht, ISBN 1-4020-5300-2, in press (http://www.eso.org/libraries/lisaconferences.pdf)

ADS BibCode:2006Msngr.125...55ASection:Other Astronomical NewsAuthor(s)/Affiliation(s):Argandoña, G.; Mirabel, F.AA(ESO) AB(ESO)Abstract:The construction of ALMA close to the village of San Pedro de Atacama is making contributions to other sciences besides astronomy. More than 10000 years ago, human be-ings arrived at the Atacama Desert for the very first time. For generations, they managed to survive in this harsh environment, giving birth to a myriad of unique cultures and traditions, whose origins and evolution are still subject to intense re-search by anthropologists, historians, archaeologists, geneticists and linguists.

ADS BibCode:2006Msngr.125...56ASection:Other Astronomical NewsAuthor(s)/Affiliation(s):Argandoña, G.; Mirabel, F.AA(ESO) AB(ESO)Abstract:In a ceremony in Santiago in June 2006, ESO and the Chilean Ministry of For- eign Affairs celebrated the 10th Anniversary of the Supplementary Agreement. This agreement granted to Chilean astronomers up to 10% of the total ob-serving time on ESO telescopes and established an annual fund for the de-velopment of astronomy, managed by the ‘ESO-Chile Joint Committee’.